Coxwold, Beacon Banks and Kilburn
10.5 miles Fine but chilly
Tom Scott Burns starts his walk in Kilburn but our preference is to begin at Coxwold, where parking is easy on the High Street.
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| Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Hambleton Hills |
We parked coveniently near to the Fauconberg Arms, booted up and walked along the High Street to the crossroads, admiring the attractive houses. At the crossroads we turned right to commence a steady climb out of the village, passing the old railway track where the signal box has been kept in its original condition.
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| Houses in Coxwold |
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| The Fauconberg Arms |
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| Railway Cottage with its original signal box |
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| Clive and the garage stand where the track once ran |
After half a mile on this lane we entered a field at a wooden sign and continued to climb, following field paths until we reached a stile and High Leys Farm.
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| Leave the tarmac at the wooden sign |
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| Wild garlic in flower and smelling very strong |
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| The White Horse accompanies us for most of today's walk |
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| Approaching High Leys Farm and its heifers |
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| Very quiet but blocking our stile |
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| Coxwold below |
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| A victim of bullying, flight feathers, tail and back of head pecked |
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| Opportunists at High Leys Farm |
At the farm we turned right onto the farm track for100 yards or so, before returning to fields at a sign, and then followed the ridge of Beacon Bank Wood. This provided fine views in TSB's day but now there is no view whatsoever, the whole ridge being covered with gorse and bushes. We passed by a trig point and came to Beacon Bank's alpaca farm.
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| Turn right off the farm track at this sign |
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| Bluebells still flowering at Beacon Bank |
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| Following the ridge along Beacon Bank |
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| When we started from Kilburn we used to sit here for our coffee |
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| Alpaca Farm |
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| A familiar face from The Yorkshire Vet programme |
We walked down past Lists House into Husthwaite village where we paused on reaching St Nicholas' Church. The village of Husthwaite dates back to the period of Scandinavian settlement in Northern England during the 9th century. The name comes from the Norse for 'houses in a woodland clearing.' The core of the church is Norman. It was unlocked so we went in for a look around.
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| George VII postbox at Lists House |
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| Husthwaite from Lists House |
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| Husthwaite Hall from Lists House |
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| Old Coach House |
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| Houses in Husthwaite |
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| St Nicholas' Church |
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| The porch dates from 1140 |
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| Looking towards the altar |
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| Unusual box pews date from 1686 |
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| The Kilburn Mouse is on the lectern |
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| Modern window |
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| Clive makes his donation |
Leaving the church we passed through the remains of an old railway embankment and entered Ings Lane, which we followed north for a mile.
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| I think this is a cross Jacobs sheep |
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| "What do you think we are?" |
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Fox Folly Farm
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| At Fox Folley Farm |
After the farm we crossed several more fields using waymarks as guides, to reach the road just outside Coxwold.
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| The houses of Coxwold come into view |
Entering Coxwold we passed the Georgian house where the author Laurence Sterne lived.
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| Shandy Hall |
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| St Michael's at Coxwold |
St Michael's Church has an impressive octagonal tower and is a 15th century building, although built on a Norman church. We found it unlocked and went inside to see some fine windows, which commemorated the Wombwell family, in particular Sir George Orby Wombwell, a survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade.
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| "To TSB and his walks!" |
